across the northeast the cleanup continues, but some areas are still a long way from returning to normal. backlash over the decision to hold a marathon in an area where resources are already stretched to the limit. and many people are struggling just to get basic necessities. so was this a good decision? and we're in the home stretch today. just four days until america heads to the polls. it's a very tight race. and here in our region a lot of people waiting in line for hours to do, to vote ahead of election day. we'll find out. hello, everybody. i'm jim adelaide. >> i'm pat lawson hughes. the death toll, 49 killed in new york alone. >> there and along the eastern seaboard storm-ravaged areas are still waiting for relief today. jay gray is live in atlantic city with a look at the recovery now. jay? >> reporter: hey there, jim and pat. that relief's going to be a long time coming though we are getting a patch of sun in atlantic city.

we want to get a look as they start the recovery. people coming down to get a picture of what's gone. they've never seen this area like this before. you can see the rubble piled up here. we've seen dozers working throughout the day. that's going to continue. as you come back across and work your way down across the beach we'll be able to show you that boardwalk that was here for so long. this is repair that's going to take -- i think people are starting to understand, getting over the shock of what sandy left behind and understanding that the recovery here is going to be difficult and not going to be weeks but months if not more than a year. there is a bit of good news here in atlantic city. the casinos reopened. and a lot of people, you'd be surprised, moving in, saying they're going to find a place to stay here. the hotels are open. but also hoping they can get their minds off what's happened and what's to come for just a couple of hours. so that's a bit of good news in the middle of what's been a lot

of horrible news. pat, jim, back to you. >> all right. jay gray. jay, thank you. about 1,500 dominion virginia workers left this morning to help restore power in central new jersey. hundreds of thousands there still in the dark after sandy. many of these crews also responded after hurricane katrina because so many gas stations are powerless now, they are taking their own fuel and other supplies with them up to jersey. they will work shifts of at least 12 hours. four days to go until election day. there are nine swing states, but only one is the grand prize. and that is ohio. it holds the key to both -- to victory for both campaigns. and as steve handelsman reports. that's where both candidates are campaigning today. >> reporter: so close to the end, you know they're in ohio. mitt romney in aetna. >> i'm counting on you. >> president obama in hilliard taking credit for the auto bailout. >> it paid off in toledo, where

chrysler's adding more than 1,000 new jobs on a second shift. not in china. right here in ohio. >> reporter: it paid off for him in in ohio polls. >> this morning we learned -- than at any time in the last eight months. >> reporter: it's the last jobless report before the vote. 7.9% unemployment. slightly worse. >> the president went to springfield, ohio. >> reporter: romney stopped in wisconsin where he's polling five points behind. >> candidate obama promised to do so very much. but he's fallen so very short. >> reporter: he said the president pledged unemployment down to 5% by now. >> today we learned that it's

actually 7.9%. and that's 9 million jobs short of what he promised. unemployment is higher today than when barack obama took office. think of that. >> reporter: governor romney has two stops in ohio today. president obama three. and they'll both be back before tuesday. both candidates are campaigning as if any letup would mean they would lose ohio and lose the election. i'm steve handelsman, news 4. early voting ends tonight in maryland. tomorrow in d.c. the big turnout has overwhelmed elections officials and caused long lines at some early voting sites. it's also the talk around town this week. here with some reaction from the station's listeners. malette, what is driving these long lines? we've got question 6, we've got question 7. and by the way, that presidential election, too, right? >> that little thing, right? yeah. all of the above. you know, people have been really studying up on question 6 and 7. they've had no choice. they've been inundated with

robo-calls and of course the ads that have been on tv and radio. and so people are energized. this is kind of like what you expect in this final push. and they have been out there at the polls. the other thing is those civil rights groups and those groups dedicated to fighting voter suppression have been really campaigning to get people to the polls early and take advantage of early voting. especially in those states where those voter i.d. laws could be a sticking point. they want to give those people a chance in case there is a snag, a hiccup, they can still have time to get to the polls november 6th. >> and in case they don't know, 6 and 7, we're talking about same-sex marriage and we're talking about expanding gambling in prince george's county. >> yeah, two big, big contentious issues. two issues that both sides, the fors and against, have spent a ton of money, a ton of money, record-setting amounts of money, manpower, and so on. and so these issues really are driving people. people want to take their time

in the booths. and so that's contributing to the long line as well as just the turnout. >> a lot to get through on those ballots. how about the district? what's going on in d.c.? because we're seeing long lines here too. >> yeah, you have the council chair up for grabs and you have the at-large seats. and so people really want to make a conscientious choice. we did have some listeners to call in and complain. because once the precinct moved from one judiciary square to having a precinct in each ward, the elections officials were overwhelmed by the turnout. they weren't ready. and then elderly people even called in. some of our dedicated listeners, saying look, i can't stand in these long lines. but then the officials had some time. they heard the complaints. and they did some things and made some changes and accommodation accommodations, particularly for the elderly so, they could sit down while they waited to vote and get through the process. but people have been patient and they're dedicated. >> that's what it takes.

again, we've just got four days left to go. tuesday is going to be very interesting here. >> oh, yeah. >> well, we've got a contest of a different kind that we've been getting tremendous turnout or response to. >> oh, yeah. >> and it's the w.h.u.r., wnbc 4, our contest to get you out to city steve harvey in chicago. and you've heard from a lot of people. there's the secret word. this is the last day. >> all, this we've been asking people to answer some personal questions about steve. today's question, the last question of the week, of course, what's steve's favorite movie? well, the answer was just given. so i hope folks were paying attention. but you have until 11:59 tonight to answer that question and qualify to fly to chicago and see the steve harvey tv show live in the studio. you know, my personal favorite part of the show is to ask steve for advice. he gives good advice. >> and he does. >> and he's crazy. you know, he's funny. >> crazy funny. >> so we're going to announce the winner on the 12th of november, and the winner and a partner will get to fly up to chicago for a live taping on the

11th of december. good stuff. i love this partnership. >> we've got to do it again. a lot of people want to get out there to see him. all right. malette, great to see you. have a great weekend. pat, back over to you. >> all right. thanks, guys. turning now to the weather. the coast is clear right now. but guess what? there is another storm with the mid-atlantic. veronica johnson is live for us in the weather center. lay it on us, veronica. >> of course we mentioned a storm system yesterday. we're still looking at it on some of the guidance and weather maps as it looks as though more and more will be developing right off the carolina capes and moving northward. we're tall more about that moving forward, but for today mostly cloudy again and chilly too. it's been a blustery day for us 37 look at the winds throughout the area. 25 to 29 miles per hour wind gusts currently being reported. again, with the day where we've had very limited blue sky yet again, at one point, though, this morning it looked like we were getting a little more

clearing in here, but the clouds again are winning out. what's left of sandy spinning way off to the north. 51 degrees columbia heights and petworth. good afternoon to you guys in virginia, chantaly, frankownia 49 degrees. 50 degrees right now in prince george's county over in mitchellville, maryland. here's a look at your forecast for the evening. chilly as we drop to 46 by 9:00 p.m. 44 by 11:00 p.m. coming up i'll have more on your weekend, on your tuesday weather for voting as well as on that storm system, the northeaster we're talking about. two deadly police-involved shootings today. the first in d.c. the second in stafford, virginia. we begin with a shooting in northeast where a man was shot after allegedly stabbing an officer. news 4's megan mcgrath explains why police chief kathy lanier says the incident was especially difficult for officers. >> reporter: police chief kathy lanier hugs one of her officers on the scene. investigators pick up a

department-issued holster and place it in the trunk of an unmarked police car. it was a close call. while responding to a 911 dispatch for a domestic assault, a d.c. police officer became the victim when he was attacked by a man with a knife. >> officers received a call here this morning about 6:45 for a domestic assault. 3500 block of 17th street northeast. when they arrived on the scene and were approaching the house, apparently the suspect, who had been outside, came up from behind the officers and attacked the officers. one of the officers has several stab wounds to his head, neck, and hands. the officer then turned around, engaged the suspect, and shots were fired. >> reporter: the suspect died on the scene. also injured, the grandfather of the dead suspect. police say he was attacked by his grandson early this morning. prompting the 911 call and police response. what follows next serves as a

reminder of how dangerous and unpredictable policework can be. >> this is pretty traumatic for all the officers that work together. the last thing we ever want to do is take a life. and it's very upsetting to all the officers here. >> chief lanier says the officer has serious cut wounds but that the injuries are not life-threatening. in northeast megan mb grath, news 4. the second police officer shooting took place in stafford county, virginia near the fauquier county line. the officer trying to pull over a suspected drunk driver on tackitch mill road here. police tell us the man ran inside his house, then came out with a gun. a stafford county deputy shot and killed the man. jackie bentsen will have much more on this story coming up at 5:00 tonight. when news 4 at 4:00 continues, it's a problem that surfaces after just about every disaster. unlicensed workers trying to make a fast buck. an nbc investigation finds that problem already surfacing in the northeast. plus, apple's newest gadget

hits store shelves today. so where are the long lines we've come to expect with every new release? and a star-studded performance to help storm victims. it's a cause that's hitting close to home for some music superstars. charlie rose: will you endorse president obama?

colin powell: yes. when he took over we were in one of the... worst recessions we had seen in recent times... close to a depression. and i saw, over the next several years, stabilization... come back in the financial community. housing is starting to pick up. the president saved the auto industry. and the actions he's taken with respect to... protecting us from terrorism have been very, very solid. and so, i think we ought to keep on the track that we are on. president obama: i'm barack obama and... i approve this message.

lake shelton cleaned up last night at the country music awards. the country star and coach from nbc's "the voice" took home three honors. he got male vocalist of the year for the third time. shelton also shared song of the year with his wife miranda lambert for their ballad "over you." but he seemed most surprised when he took home the prize for entertainer of the year beating out jason aldean and taylor swift. the lawsuit brought against britney spears and her mother will not go to a jury. a los angeles judge is throwing the case out. sam lutfi claims to be the pop star's former manager and says she still owes him money. he also accused her mom, lynne spears of defaming him in her

2008 book. the judge ruled there's not enough evidence for the case to go forward. he plans to appeal. tonight nbc is hosting a benefit concert to help with relief efforts for victims of hurricane sandy. the concert will be hosted by matt lauer and will feature performances by several singers with personal connections to some of the hardest-hit areas. nbc's marc barger has details. >> it's gone. the entire jersey shore i knew is gone. >> reporter: jon bon jovi was back home in new jersey thursday, seeing up close the damage from hurricane sandy that he heard about while in london. >> to see your hometown devastated like this and people that i grew up with, my grammar school turned into a shelter, people's homes gone, and they are saying to me we are now homeless. ♪ >> reporter: that made his taking part in tonight's benefit concert to aid storm victims a no-brainer. >> people in other parts of our country feel that if they

support us they know someday we're going to be supporting them. people come together in this time. ♪ hard times ♪ hard times >> reporter: another native son of new jersey bruce springsteen and long island are also scheduled to perform tonight along with the likes of sting and christina aguilera. >> my heart goes out to anyone suffering or going through a situation on such a large scale of loss. >> reporter: "today" show anchor matt lauer, himself a new york native, suggested tonight's fund-raiser to nbc executives after seeing devastation in queens firsthand. >> when we started to see by daylight the first images of what happened, i think we all knew that the predictions had been right and we did not overhype the storm. >> reporter: lauer got to cultivate his "today" show connections to start the roster of tonight's performances. >> to be able to pick up the phone and call people who are appearing tonight and have them say yes, that's one of the greatest things that's happened in my career. >> reporter: tonight's goal is getting viewers to say yes. to donations.

marc barger, nbc news. >> and you can watch that concert tonight at 8:00 right here on nbc 4. >> a lot of big names coming together tonight. we'll all be watching. hey, we've got a weekend upon us. a cold, cloudy day and a lot of big events coming up this weekend. >> that's right. we've got the longevity walk that takes place on sunday. redskins of course playing this weekend, sunday. a lot going on. and we want some sunshine. in fact, there's one day out of this weekend that i think is going to be a little better than the other. let's go ahead and take a look outside at mostly cloudy sky that we talked about. and boy, have you been outside lately? the winds have really picked up. it's a bit blustery. the northwest winds dry with a dew point temperature of 28 degrees right now. let's take a look at our temperature. we're at 51 degrees, reagan national airport. meantime, take a look at some of these wind gusts throughout the area. gusting again 25 to 30 around our area, 25 even virginia beach, 26-mile-per-hour wind gusts elkins, west virginia. and we still have that spin left

from sandy way up there in canada. still spiraling through. but we're on at least the tail end of the clouds with just a few little sprinkles that we've been getting, especially areas north up around howard county, montgomery county, loudoun county, faulkner county and especially northeast pockets of maryland. still some sprinkles going on. now, we've got chilly conditions for the overnight. cloud cover stays with us. then slowly gradually throughout the day tomorrow we'll see more and more clouds leave the area. but a cold start we'll have and with some winds still hanging in tomorrow morning we may be looking at wind chills north and west not too far from here at about 34, 35 degrees or so. so a cold start for us tomorrow. we will be having some sunshine, partly sunny conditions tomorrow, and then mostly sunny on sunday as high pressure moves in but it's going to move out very quickly so by sunday afternoon clouds start to race back with a weather front that's going to be skirting just down to our south. a mostly sunny to partly sunny day coming our way on sunday. and you know what?

it's so easy to blurt that word out, "nor'easter," with a system moving up the coast. but really this isn't a true nor'easter with a northerly wind. and as it makes its way from south to north a lot of tropical characteristics with it too. so not a true nor'easter but for that wednesday late time period, early thursday for us, we will be seeing some rain and wind and it's areas way inland, inland locations that we'll be seeing i think even some snow. i-95 corridor. you're talking some rain. that's the way it's looking right now. inland, maybe a little bit of snow for wednesday, thursday. more clouds, breezy, chilly, 43 to 47 degrees with that stiff wind by tomorrow morning. still someone left around the area. a cold start indeed at 32 to 39 degrees. tomorrow afternoon we take it up to 51 to 55. that's where we've been the last couple of days, and that's where we're going to stay the next couple of days. right now election day tuesday is looking dry with a high temperature of 50 degrees. we'll talk more about back to standard time on sunday coming up in a few. >> thanks, b.j.

still ahead, everybody's looking for a fuel-efficient car these days. but how do you know how your car will really perform? one group claims you can't trust some car company statistics. and the simple mistake that left several cars underwater. and this didn't have anything to do with sandy. [ minto ] you know, those ads saying mitt romney

would ban all abortions and contraception seemed a bit extreme. so i looked into it. turns out, romney doesn't oppose contraception at all. in fact, he thinks abortion should be an option in cases of rape, incest, or to save a mother's life. this issue's important to me, but i'm more concerned about the debt our children will be left with. i voted for president obama last time, but we just can't afford four more years. [ romney ] i'm mitt romney

and i approve this message. a mistake by a contractor appears to be to blame for flooding a bethesda parking garage with several cars inside. these pictures were taken in the garage at the corner of bradley boulevard and wisconsin avenue. the contractor was installing a new connection and hooked that connection to an abandoned pipe around 4:00 this morning. that caused the bottom floor of a sixth floor parking garage to flood. wssc pumped the water out, and water has been restored to the building now. smaller lines for apple's new smaller ipad today. this is the apple store in

bethesda this morning. just one person waiting outside. and we're getting similar reports from stores all over the country. not naezly the frenzy for the ipad mini we saw for the iphone 5. online sales, however, are backed up. if you ordered today, apple's website says, you might have to wait two weeks for shipping. only the wi-fi version is available now. >> my 14-year-old niece is saving her pennies. >> as well she should. >> to buy one. >> it's $329. you that, right? >> i don't know how much money she has in the bank. still to come on news 4 at 4:00, the damage left in sandy's wake has a lot of people hiring contractors to do repairs. but you how much do you know about what you're paying? the results of an undercover investigation coming up. and it's an issue evoking strong emotions today. should the new york marathon go on as planned as the city picks up the pieces left behind from sandy? craig melvin has the story from manhattan coming up. [ earnest ] out of the blue one day,

we were told to build a 30-foot stage. gathered the guys and we built that 30-foot stage, not knowing what it was for. just days later, all three shifts were told to assemble in the warehouse. a group of people walked out on that stage and told us that the plant is now closed and all of you are fired... i looked both ways, i looked at the crowd, and...we all just lost our jobs. we don't have an income. mitt romney made over 100 million dollars by shutting down our plant and devastated our lives. turns out that when we built that stage, it was like building my own coffin, and it just made me sick. [ male announcer ] priorities usa action is responsible for the content of this advertising.

and welcome back at 4:30, everyone. i'm jim handly. >> i'm pat lawson muse. they arrive after every major storm. unlicensed contractors trying to make a fast buck. >> after the destruction we saw from sandy, a lot of homeowners need help, but many could pay the price for not checking on the people they hire. nbc's jeff rossen went to long island and found many unlicensed contractors already at work. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: sandy's sheer power caught on home video. now the massive cleanup is under way. and investigators say unlicensed contractors are coming out of the woodwork. >> hi. jeff rossen from nbc news. can we talk to you real quick?

>> why did you tell us you were licensed and trained to remove trees? >> reporter: these guys already at work on the decimated homes of vulnerable storm victims. >> it's terrible. it's not conscionable behavior. >> reporter: frank van dyke is a veteran investigator with suffolk county's consumer affairs unit. >> okay. this contractor's operating right over here. >> reporter: scanning for companies breaking the law. in some of long island's hardest-hit neighborhoods. >> hey, guys. checking home improvement licenses. >> reporter: this contractor is removing a giant tree from this home. dangerous work that requires a license. but the county has no record of him. >> i'm going to issue a violation. you can come in on monday. >> reporter: the home owner told us she had no idea. >> do you know they were unlicensed when you hired them? >> reporter: no, they told us they were licensed. they should have a license. okay? it's the law. >> reporter: because without one there are no requirements. contractors don't get a criminal

background check. and may not have insurance. which means if they do a shoddy job you could be stuck. >> you don't know the level of expertise of the workers. they could damage your house more than they already have. >> we're taking the tree off somebody's house. >> reporter: this contractor admits he doesn't have a home improvement license. didn't know he needed one. >> we do rigging. we do massive rigging with the boom truck. that's what we're licensed and insured to do. >> reporter: but turns out there is no license for rigging either. he's actually an elevator he repairman. >> you said you're licensed in rigging. your cap installs elevators. how do you explain that. why did you tell us you were licensed in rigging and trained to remove trees? >> reporter: just blocks away -- >> the consumer affairs. we're doing a licensing check. >> reporter: investigators find another unlicensed contractor. he insists the government data base is wrong. >> i am licensed. >> when he checked, there is no license on file for you or your company. >> okay. well, when i bring my paperwork down, we'll see otherwise. >> reporter: he said he'd show

investigators proof the next day. but didn't. >> do you have a business card? >> reporter: look, many contractors do play by the rules. frank checked this one on the roof. fully licensed. >> i'm glad somebody showed up and checked my credentials, verified i was licensed. >> what do you make of the unlicensed contractors? >> reporter: officials say some unlicensed contractors even walk down the street going door to door, luring you in with low, low prices. and when your front yard looks like this, or actually any of the homes on this block, you're desperate. how do you say no? >> it hurts. i am in a hole. >> reporter: dorothy o'brien got a flyer in her door in august for tree repair from this man, eric moyer. she says she paid him $1,600 in cash up front but he never did the job. >> they were only here one day. they never came back again. >> reporter: new jersey prosecutors say he was

unlicensed and targeting the elderly. and have charged him with multiple counts of theft. he didn't return our calls for comment. >> they're liars. they lie tyou. they're complete fraud. >> reporter: now with home after home looking like this, investigators fear it's open season. >> consumers are so desperate they'll just hand the money away. >> reporter: now, the contractors jeff met have a hearing next week. there were no previous violations for any of them, but officials say after storms like sandy contractor complaints spike. the best way to protect yourself is to call your local consumer affairs department. they can quickly check if the company is in fact licensed. never pay cash. and if you can, get several estimates before hiring anyone. >> let's get an update on our weather. veronica, how's the weekend looking? >> the weekend is looking brighter. better than what we've had the

last couple days. from our camera heights on the gaylord national resort. it of course looked like this yesterday. the day before yesterday. more ominous, though, at the beginning of the week with a mostly cloudy sky. temperatures throughout the area today almost on par with yesterday. running about two, three degrees cooler. you add the wind on top of that because it's pretty blustery outside. and boy, is it cold. 46 in gaithersburg. 51 right in d.c. haymarket coming in at 40. 49 degrees. bladensburg. see our temperatures drop to the mid and upper 30s overnight with wind chills close to freezing. more on next week's weather coming up. still to come, the soaring price of gas has many people looking for fuel-efficient cars. but could you trust the mileage promised by the company? one group says no. i'm liz crenshaw. what do i do if i'm unhappy with what my insurance company offers for sandy repairs? that's the question. the answer's coming up on news 4 at 4:00.

a lot of you had to get out your generators this week. now a california company is recalling generators sold at costco stores. champion power equipment is recalling more than 8,500 generators because a fuel leak could lead to fire. so far eight fires have been reported. the generators were sold at costco from december 2011 through this past july. for model numbers and more information go to nbcwashington.com and search generator recall. hyundai and kia are accused of overstating the gas mileage on 13 of their vehicles. an audit by the environmental protection agency found mileage inflated by between one to six miles. the epa ordered the companies to chait window stickers on their cars to show the correct mileage. the discrepancies involve vehicles from model years 2011 through 2013.

the automaker has apologized for what they call a procedural error. they say they will reimburse customers for the difference in the mileage. when we come right back on news 4 at 4:00, space shuttle on the move. its final voyage may be short, but it's taking a lot of manpower and coordination. and if your home was damaged during the storm, what's the first step to getting it fixed?

charlie rose: will you endorse president obama? colin powell: yes. when he took over we were in one of the... worst recessions we had seen in recent times... close to a depression. and i saw, over the next several years, stabilization... come back in the financial community. housing is starting to pick up. the president saved the auto industry. and the actions he's taken with respect to... protecting us from terrorism have been very, very solid. and so, i think we ought to keep on the track that we are on. president obama: i'm barack obama and... i approve this message.

sandy may have reached our region days ago but the lasting effect of downed trees and insurance claims remain. liz crenshaw joins us to sort through the mess of sandy in this special edition of "ask liz." a lot of folks are still trying to -- >> trying to clean up. >> get the trees off their roofs. our first question is about insurance claims. what's the insurance process? if sandy did damage to my house. and what if i'm unhappy with

what my insurance company offers? >> the insurance federation did help us with this answer. for starters you have to contact your agent right away. you have to make a list of what's damaged. document that damage by taking pictures. take video. it may actually speed up your claim. and if possible make those simple cheap temporary repairs. keep your receipts so that your insurance company can reimburse you. if you have problems filing a claim or feeling the offer is simply too low, you can complain to senior staff at your insurance company. use the records you have kept since the claim began. your state insurance department also accepts complaints. states will at least seek a response from your complaint to your insurance company. so it's worth knowing who the insurance commissioner is in your state. >> all right. our next question is from both robin in bethesda and susan in college park. both want to know is there a problem with the safety of tapwater during storms like sandy? why were you advising us to fill up water bought sxlz bathbathtu?

we spoke with the water authority officials for this answer. they will tell us while drinking water is not always affected by power outages or flooding it can be. a catastrophic power outage that affects pumping stations can mean a loss of pressure to the water supply system. so can a water main break, it does the same thing. in both cases a loss of pressure means there is a greater health risk and sometimes water authorities do have to issue a boil water alert. that did not happen with sandy. but in advance of any storm it's always good to collect clean water for drinking and bathing just in case. >> to be on the safe side. last question comes from t. marie in frederick county, maryland. she wants to know if her gas fireplace is on when the power goes out will it continue to burn without electricity and give her some heat? >> she wanted to stay warm with her gas fireplace. well, we turn to the hearth patio and barbecue association for this answer. it will tells us that a gas

fireplace should keep running if it was on before the power went out. however, you won't be age to start your gas fireplace if the power is already out since it does require electricity to ignite. in terms of safety the association says there are simply too many variables to say that every gas fireplace would be absolutely safe to use. however, if your fireplace has been checked by a professional and it has something called a b vent or a direct vent that doesn't use any mechanical draft assistance, it should be fine to use even if you don't have power. if you have a question you'd like us to consider for ask liz. send it to askliz@nbcwashington.com. you can also connect with me on twitter, search liz crenshaw, and on facebook by searching liz crenshaw's consumer watch. coming up on ask liz on news 4 at 5:00 tonight, who pays for repairs to your car if a tree falls and hits it. what about if a tree falls between your yard and your neighbor's yard? who pays for that? and can your flooded appliances be salvaged or are they a total loss? more sandy questions answered at 5:00. >> ooh.

keep those questions coming. thank you, liz. >> thank you. >> jim? >> thank you both. well, everybody's asking about the weekend. let's get the word on the weather. will we see sun, veronica? >> we will see sun, jim, but our deal early december temperatures will continue. that's where we've been all week long. take a look at the temperature. 51 degrees out there. that's average high for the early part of december. on top of that we're getting wind thrown into it all, right? it's out of the northwest currently at 17, and we're even seeing some higher gusts throughout the area between 25 and 30 miles per hour. 51 degrees now. here's a look at where we're going to go later. 44 degrees by 11:00 p.m. we'll see skies clear, partly sunny tomorrow, but for sure cold with any wind left over with the temperature down to 39 inside the beltway. mid 30s in other locations. a cold, brisk start for us. let's take a look at your future weather. as we clear out saturday, we'll be looking at a partly sunny sky. even sunday i think even more

sunshi, especially the early part of the day. watch what happens after 3:00. the weather system skirting south of us will be bringing more cloud cover to the area. your high temperature for saturday getting up to 54 around ul ni. green belt 55 degrees. 53 degrees over at manassas. a-55 at culpepper. and check out the election day weather. dry conditions to the nation's midsection were cool down south. chilly conditions around us. there's that storm system bringing rain and wind right up the coast. again talking about rain showers for areas i-95, inland locations, possibly some snow. our temperature on tuesday right at 50 degrees. here's a look at your four-day forecast. again, we fall back, don't forget, 2:00 a.m. sunday. 53 sunday. 51. 50 early part of next week. then it's wednesday, late thursday for that rain and wind with the next big storm. back to you. >> thanks, veronica. coming up on news 4, the new york marathon must go on as scheduled, and some folks aren't happy about that. >> the city of new york right

now is talking about getting water out of the battery tunnel and preparing for a marathon. we're pulling bodies out of the water. >> new concerns as 50,000 runners descend on the big apple. and it's a dance craze that's not just for people anymore. you're watching news 4 at 4:00. stay with us. more people are biking to work. that's a good thing. the district adding more bike lanes. that's also a good thing. but now there's a major problem. then tonight at 6:00, remember this crane up in manhattan? flapping around in the winds of hurricane sandy. we're going to find out what is happening now that the storm has passed.

the space shuttle "atlantis" is on the move and rolling right

into retirement. the shuttle emerged from the giant vehicle assembly building this morning riding atop a wheeled platform. it'll take all day to make the ten-mile trek to kennedy space center's visitor complex where the shuttle will be on display. the "atlantis" is the last space shuttle to orbit the world. the four astronauts who closed oug out the shuttle program on "atlantis" are making their final journey with the spaceship. ♪ gangnam style ♪ op, op, op, opa gangnam style ♪ yeah, even robots are doing gangnam style. that little dance was part of a robot competition in china. along with boxing and serving. students from universities also entered their bots in a dancing costume. the robots got judged on their costume, their choreography, and coordination. a little jerky. a little creaky there for the robot. >> gangnam robots. still ahead, nearly 50,000

runners descend on the big apple for the new york marathon. >> but many are outraged today that the race will go on.

runners in the new york city marathon will find themselves knee deep in controversy when the race gets under way on sunday. city officials and marathon organizers decided not to

postpone the race. even though it starts in the borough hit hardest by super storm sandy. craig melvin has our report. sandy knocked out power for millions, flooded tunnels, and shut down subways. but the deadly storm that's crippled the city won't stop its marathon. >> it's a bold move. it's a move that as you know does not come without some controversy. >> and off they go. >> reporter: for nearly 50,000 registered runners the race to the finish may prove easier than the journey to the start. >> i assume if the marathon's going to happen they're going to have ways to get people out there. >> the starting line is on staten island and maraoners usually take a ferry or buses through the brooklyn battery tunnel. staten island itself remains in disarray and the decision to go forward with the marathon leaves many local officials furious. >> the city of new york right now is talking about getting water out of the battery tunnel and preparing for a marathon.

we're pulling bodies out of the water. . >> reporter: then there are runners like louise, who came all the way from down under. >> we landed on saturday night. i'm here with my 8-year-old son. my his's stuck over in uk. so whether he gets here i'm not sure. >> reporter: 20,000 marathoners fly into the city from all over the world. while new york's three airports are finally open, they're backlogged because of canceled flights. plus, there's thousands of runners and their families crowding already packed hotels. on thursday mary wittenberg, ceo and president of the new york road runners, the group that organizes the marathon, defended the decision. >> the idea comes sunday to bring the city together and help the world unite to really support this relief effort. >> reporter: and the race supports the new york city economy. generating about $350 million for the big apple every year. it also requires major support from city departments. but mayor bloomberg promises it won't distract from recovery efforts. >> the marathon's not going to

redirect any focus by -- keep in mind by sunday we'll have electricity back downtown. that will free up an enormous number of police. >> reporter: new york city has always had a reputation as one tough town. now, having survived some of mother nature's worst, bracing to be ready for one of the biggest running events in the world. >> they said they're going to be retrofitting church station. they didn't specify how. but i'm sure they'll figure it out. >> race organizers say they're going to be using private buss to get the runners to the starting line on staten island. they also say the transportation system is not going to be thatch of an issue at this point. as of this morning 14 of new york city's 23 subway lines are up and running by sunday. all of them should be up and running. but a lot of folks say this is not about logistics, it's about optics. jim, pat, back to you. right now on news 4 at 5:00, food, fuel, power. millions are still without it. and tonight the manhattan

skyline is expected to be lit up mostly for the first time in days. >> reporter: police hand out flyers hoping to catch the man who brutally attacked a woman inside her apartment. it is the final weekend before the presidential election, and both candidates are planning to return to virginia at least one more time. and good evening. i'm wendy rieger. >> and i'm jim handly. first tonight at 5:00, some areas hardest hit by sandy are grinding back into action this evening. atlantic city has reopened to the public despite the widespread damage still evident there. all but two casinos welcomed visitors back today. mayor michael bloomberg says this weekend's new york city marathon will still go on. critics say it will take away hotel rooms and city resources from storm survivors who need them. meanwhile, the number of people dead has now climbed to at least 95. and at least 3.5 million homes and businesses are still without power tonight. thousands of those still in the dark and cold include one new